The national air carrier now supplies daily 8am flights from Noi Bai by Airbus 321, in addition to the current nine flight routes to Japan.

Vietnam Airlines considers Japan one of its major markets, Tuoi Tre quoted the company as saying.

In 2013, flights between the two countries served 740,000 passengers; that number is expected to increase this year.

The Haneda Airport is only 14 kilometers from downtown Tokyo. It became Asia’s 2nd most crowded and world’s 4th most crowded airport in 2012, serving nearly 67 million passengers.

Last month, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that single-entry tourist visa requirements for citizens of Vietnam and the Philippines would be reduced to a “quasi-exemption” level, when they apply through “specified” travel agencies.

The announcement was published on its website on June 17, reportedly as part of the country’s effort to boost tourism to 20 million foreign visitors by 2020.

According to the ministry, multiple-entry visa requirements for the two countries’ citizens will also be relaxed “substantially.”

The ministry has yet to determine when, precisely, the changes will take effect.